An Afternoon with Enzo G. Castellari and KEOMA (1976)

Outside the Box [Office], Band Pro and Blue Underground invite you and a guest to a special discussion with director ENZO G. CASTELLARI (Inglorious Bastards, Street Law, The Big Racket) and screening of

Please note: Attendees to NOT get an email confirmation when you RSVP.

About Keoma (1976)

Franco Nero (Django, The Fifth Cord) is KEOMA, a half-breed gunfighter weary of killing as a way of life. But when he returns to his troubled childhood home, Keoma is caught in a savage battle between innocent settlers, sadistic bandits and his vengeful half-brothers. In a wasteland gone mad with rage and pain, can one man massacre his way to redemption?

KEOMA is an extraordinary combination of potent symbolism, powerful performances and relentless violence, brilliantly directed by Enzo G. Castellari (Street Law, The Big Racket). Woody Strode (Once Upon a Time in the West), William Berger (Django Strikes Again) and Olga Karlatos (Zombie) co-star in this one-of-a-kind classic that fans and critics consider to be one of the greatest 'Spaghetti Westerns' of all time.

About the Guests

ENZO G. CASTELLARI (Writer/Director)

Castellari was born in Rome under the name of Enzo Girolami (Castellari is the maternal last name), son of Director Marino Girolami, brother of actor Enio Girolami and nephew of filmmaker Romolo (Girolami) Guerrieri.

Castellari studied Architecture and after a career as a boxer, he entered the world of cinema as an actor, then continued as a production assistant, Assistant Director, stunt coordinator, film editor and writer.

Enzo's movies have become cult titles, such as High Crime, Street Law, Keoma, The Big Racket, The Last Shark/Great White, Eagles Over London and Inglorious Bastards, the war film must-loved by Quentin Tarantino, who cited the title of the film, though changing the spelling, in Inglourious Basterds. Castellari appears in a cameo in both movies.

Castellari is mainly known for his westerns, war and crime films, and has been called the "european Sam Peckinpah" and an "action master". His films exhibit a flair for violent action and gunfights, often using slow-motion to spectacular effect.

In 1966 Castellari debuted as Director with the spaghetti western A Few Dollars for Django, co-directed with León Klimovsky, but Castellari was not credited as a Director. In the early years of his career, Castellari directed other spaghetti westerns, which made his name part of the history of the genre together with Sergio Leone and Sergio Corbucci.

The real directing debut came in 1967 with another spaghetti western: 7 Winchesters for a Massacre. The first major success was Vado... l'ammazzo e torno, starring George Hilton. Castellari continued with this genre, directing other Western films: Kill Them All and Come Back Alone, Johnny Hamlet, One Dollar Too Many, Tedeum and Sting of the West. Castellari returned to the spaghetti western genre in 1975, with Keoma, considered to be the last great film of the genre.

In 1994, Castellari directed a late spaghetti western, Jonathan of the Bears, starring Franco Nero. Almost a "sequel" of Keoma, the film was shot entirely in Russia. The western village was fully built in a military base near Moscow. The world premiere of the film was organized and requested to be in Monaco with the presence of Prince Alberto.

Castellari's movies are recognizable by a series of styles that come in all his films:

1. Slow motion, present in every film and borrowed from Southwest of Sonora by Sidney j. Furie.
2. A dry beginning that leads immediately into action.
3. Fast, fragmented editing.
4. Shootouts that take place in closed, abandoned places (such as garages or abandoned factories).
5. Use of music in tune with spectacular action scenes.

NEXT PROJECT: The Angel, The Brute and The Wise – The Badlanders, to be filmed in Almeria, Spain.

JON FAUER, ASC (Moderator)

Jon Fauer, ASC has been shooting film since he was 8 years old. He attended Collegiate School in New York, and graduated with honors in Art and Film from Dartmouth College. His mentors were screenwriter-director Maurice Rapf, director Joseph Losey, cinematographer Andrew Laszlo, ASC and film historian Arthur Mayer. With a grant from PBS, he directed and filmed the one-hour television documentary Losey on Film.

A day after graduation from Dartmouth, he was off producing, directing and shooting his first major film: Wildwater. It was shot on location at the World Kayak Championships in Italy. The film, and the awards it won, led to documentaries around the world: skiing, kayaking, and action- adventure specials for ABC, PBS, American Sportsman, and National Geographic around the world. His work led to membership in The Explorers Club, the International Cinematographers Guild (ICG), the Directors Guild (DGA) and the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC).

He became a camera operator when Andrew Laszlo, ASC asked him if he could ski backwards with a camera. He did -- as second unit camera operator on Top of the Hill, starring Wayne Rogers, Elke Sommer, Sonny Bono and Mel Ferer. However, the film was mainly about bobsledding and love, sure qualifications to work as a camera operator on many features for the next five years. That was followed by work as Director of Photography on features, television films, television series and commercials.

He was 2nd Unit Director of Photography on All the Right Moves and Remo Williams; Director of Photography on the series Tales from the Darkside, the title sequences for Bonfire of the Vanities, and Angie, and Director of Photography on many major campaigns for Coca Cola, Chrysler, Ralph Lauren, Ponds Institute, Johnson & Johnson, Mercedes, and GE.

As a Director-Cameraman on high technology and high fashion commercials, his work won numerous awards, including Best Director and Best Cinematography. Major commercials included campaigns for Neutrogena, Rhinocort, Porcelana, Pontiac, Buick, US Coast Guard, Snickers, Canon Cameras, Sears and Blistex.

Jon Fauer is author of ten best-selling books on cinematography and digital imaging, published by ASC Press, ARRI and Focal Press. Over 110,000 copies of his books have been printed. The books began as a few pages of notes for camera assistants on the cameras Jon owned. The notes quickly grew into textbooks.

He is publisher of Jon Fauer's Film and Digital Times, a bimonthly newsletter on technique and technology in film, digital and video production.

He recently wrapped production of Cinematographer Style, a feature documentary.

About Band Pro

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About Outside the Box [Office]

Outside the Box [Office] is a weekly showcase for upcoming releases highlighting world cinema, documentary and independent film titles. Recognizing a need for greater diversity on campus, the series will draw from around the globe to present movies that may challenge, inspire or simply entertain.

Check-In & Reservations

This screening is free of charge and open to the public. Please bring a valid USC ID or print out of your reservation confirmation, which will automatically be sent to your e-mail account upon successfully making an RSVP through this website. Doors will open at 2:30 P.M.

All SCA screenings are OVERBOOKED to ensure seating capacity in the theater, therefore seating is not guaranteed based on RSVPs. The RSVP list will be checked in on a first-come, first-served basis until the theater is full. Once the theater has reached capacity, we will no longer be able to admit guests, regardless of RSVP status.

Parking

The USC School of Cinematic Arts is located at 900 W. 34th St., Los Angeles, CA 90007. Parking passes may be purchased for $10.00 at USC Entrance Gate #4, located at the intersection of W. Jefferson Blvd. & Royal Street. We recommend Parking Structure D, at the far end of 34th Street. Metered street parking is also available along Jefferson Blvd.